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Muscle Building and BodybuildingTopics related to muscle building, bodybuilding, including training and fullbody workouts. If you are looking for great advice on gaining muscle this forum is for you.

There's a lot of theories on how to make maximum muscle gains while using anabolic steroids. You do not need steroid cycles that are so complicated that you would need a degree in bio-chemistry to figure them out. You can't just climb your way to the top of the mountain in one shot. You have to slingshot your way up in increments! I want to share with everyone what I have learned in 24 years of experience as both a bodybuilder and personal trainer. I have seen a lot in my days!

Feel free to ask me any questions concerning steroid cycles, etc in this thread. I see a lot of the same old questions being asked and I want to hand out some sound advise for those wanting to know what I have found to work best. It's really quite simple. KEEP ANABOLIC STEROID CYCLES/PRO-HORMONE CYCLES AT 8 WEEKS!

Take care,

Ronnie Rowland

Slingshot Training Overview and Cliff Notes:

Slingshot Training entails blasting for as long as humanly possible before having to take time off from heavy training. A blast is composed of two training phases-a ďreloadĒ and a ďdeloadĒ. The reload is a higher volume training phase that last 8 weeks and a deload is a lower volume training phase that last 2 weeks. Slingshot training works by reloading with more volume while your on an 8 week anabolic steroid cycle or 8 week pro-hormone cycle, etc. Anabolics have been shown to work best for appoximately 8 weeks. After that point, additional muscle gains slow dramatically and you would need to use higher amounts drugs or supplements to advance further. The problem with that approach is unwanted side effects. So in order to keep making maximum progress you come off a heavy cycle by lowering the amount of anabolics used, do a pct, or bridge with a small dose of anabolics for 2 weeks-all while reducing training volume and protein intake. This 2 week period of reducing volume and protein is called a deload and it encourages receptor sites to become more sensitive to anabolics so that when you return to another (steroid cycle/reload) you'll make more gains with less side effects. To recap: You use more training volume and take in more protein during your 8 week anabolic steroid cycles so you can get the most out of each cycle. This is your reload ! After the reload you begin deloading for 2 weeks by using less training volume, higher reps (12-15) less anabolics and taking in less protein so you can return to another 8 week anabolic cycle/reload 2 weeks later and make continued progress. The cycle continues (reload/deload/reload/deload/reload/deload,etc)

Important Note: During 8 week reloads/8 week anabolic steroid cycles, you must be prepared to push training and protein intake to the limit. As you progress, anabolic dosages and calories must be increased in order to make continued gains!) Most people fail to max out their genetics because they use momentum to lift the weight. When momentum is used the ancillary muscle can do more of the actual work than the targeted muscle group. It's an ego thing and has no part in bodybuilding.

Itís up to you as an individual to find out how many sets work best for your body. I prefer 6-12 intense sets per body part once a week during reloads and only 3-6 intense sets during deloads. Experiment with your anabolic cycles to see which drugs/supplements work best. You will make your most gains somewhere during weeks 3,4,5 6,7, and 8! You must use once a week muscle group training as a baseline! It's no secret that the majority of people do best with once a week muscle training but training each muscle twice a week with more frequency on occasion will help break training plateaus. When training each msucle twice a week muscle training you will still need to stay withing the guidelines I have suggest for training volume. This means no more than a maximum of 12 intense work sets total per week for any major muscle group. If you want to get as big as humanly possible then there's no need in going off steroids. You heard me right! The 8 week reload is not a standard 8 week cycle but rather one long continuance cycle that stops only when you discontinue making any gains. This long cycle is called a blast and it consist of reloading and deloading. When you go off steroids for a lengthy period of time (for example time off = time off) you will lose a lot of your gains and go back to just above what you could have obtained naturally.

Note: When high amounts of androgenic anabolics steroids such as testosterone enanthate are introduced into the body, maximum receptor site stimualtion occurs during the first 3-8 weeks. After having been on test for around 8 weeks your libido will begin to level out and eventually decline as will your muscle growth as these receptor sites adjust to the exogenous testosterone. It's during this 3-8 week period of enhanced libido that maximum muscle growth occurs! Some of you will make the majority of your gains during weeks 3-6 while reloading others will gain more during week 5-8. Gains are finalized during the deload (weeks 8-10 of anabolic cycle). I do believe in set time frames in regards to reducing training volume and anabolic dosages. A 2 week deload following an 8 week reload is very important because it makes you stronger and packs on some additional muscle due to a rebound effect. Long acting esters will still present during a deload. In addition, the reduction in protein actually helps the body store more protein-hence more muscle mass!

When going for maximum mass you go off all steroids with Slingshot Training during a 2 week prime to allow receptors to clear and catabolic hormormone ( cortisol , myostatin levels, etc) to decline. You'll know when to prime because all progress will come to a grinding halt. Do not confuse the deload with the prime even though the deload also primes body for future gains!

I strongly believe that changing your exercises constantly is a huge mistake. Doing so will not allow for SPECIFIC ADAPTATIONS to occur to their fullest. If you are changing exercises every time you train you will have no history of progress. Results can only be measured against your baseline exercises that give you the most bang for your buck. For example: squats for the thighs! Alternating leg presses with squats every other week would not be as beneficial as sticking with squats for most of your leg training sessions unless squatting every week caused joint pain. By using the same key exercises most, if not all the time (during reloads) your results will be better. It's during the deloads you should consider changing exercises! I WANT TO DRIVE THIS POINT HOME!!!!!!!!!

BLAST: You'll want you to put your focus on one long training phase called a "blast". During this blasting cycle you will perform 2 mini-cycles. I refer to them as a reload and a deload. A reload is high volume training cycle and a deload is low volume training cycle. The best plan is to reload for 8 weeks while using anabolic supplements then follow up with a 1-2 week deload while eliminating anabolic supplements or bridging. To simplify things you reload (high volume) for 8 weeks while the anabolics are working at full capacity then you deload (low volume using high reps) for 2 weeks once the body has reached a plateau with 8 weeks of anabolic usage and the higher volume training. The benefit of using higher volume training and taking in more protein during an 8 week anabolic steroid cycle works magic! Performing higher volume not only damages muscles, it also causes them to respond by activating genes in the nuceli of the muscle cells. During a reload/anabolic steroid or pro-hormone cycle you could do 12 sets once a week for your chest for 8 weeks or 6 sets twice a week for chest. Next, after doing high volume (12 sets total per week) for 8 weeks, you will deload for 2 weeks doing only half as many sets (6 sets once a week or 3 sets twice a week). During this two week deload you will reduce or eliminate anabolic supplements depending on what you are using).

Reloading and Deloading : I want to drive this point home so everyone understand the importance of proper periodization! The deload has nothing to do with the amount of weight or training intensity used, only the number of work sets change. Use higher reps but still train with great intensity during deloads as the number of work sets will be reduced! Deloading allows for catch-up growth to occur that was stimulated during a Reload. I compare the gains made during the deload to the gains you'll make during the first 2 weeks after doing a show even though training has been reduced and you have come off of all or most anabolics and have reduced protein intake. It takes higher volume training to blast the type-2 fibers to the utmost and this causes fatigue to accumulate. During intense periods of blasting, some of the gains made are delayed because the body isnít capable of converting all the extra training into gains because more training is happening at the same time the body needs more rest for recovery. Once a deload is incorporated and the body fully-adapts, your Central Nervous System will recover and allow maximum gains in size-strength to occur.

During a blast, you gain additional strength during a deload, then take these additonal strength gains and break down more muscle tissue during the following reload by performing more work sets while adding in more anabolic supplements. This type of repetitive progress is the secret so many are in search of yet few have found!

Pro-bodybuilderís would not be the size they are today if they lifted the same weights they started out with or used the same low volume programs they used as a beginner to get stronger! I am often asked, "is it really necessary to do both a deload and a reload during a blast"? My answer is yes! - ďThere are a lot of people who think they are making progressive strength gains but in reality they are stuck in a training rut using the same weight loads over and over again. They will keep returning to train hard but continue using the same weights they used last month while staying on high dosages of anabolic supplements year yet their genetic potential in strength is far from being reached. They get a massive pump with high volume but they do not get any stronger even though they never go off anabolics! On the other hand, there are people who think they are making progressive gains in muscle size because they are getting stronger but in reality their ability to max out muscle size for their genetic potential is not being reached because they are always performing low volume. They use the same low volume approach over and over again while neglecting to go for a serious pump. They also stay on high dosages of anabolics year round instead of cycling off for 1-2 weeks after each 8 week anabolic cycle. They will keep returning to the gym pushing heavy weight loads for only a set or two while making minimal gains in muscle size. Let me be clear, it takes both high volume and low volume to max out your genetic potential while simulataneously cycling anabolic dosages!Ē

A deload consist of performing about half as many sets while using the same intensity, weight loads and rep-ranges. The entire blast will consist of training each body part once a week as a baseline then twice a week once a plateau has been reached. If you prefer once a week training then you can continue doing so indefintely. After 2-3 months of training a muscle once a week you could benefit by switching over to training each muscle group twice a week during the next 8 week reload. It's not manadory, but a good way to help prevent boredom/break plateaus!

When training a muscle twice a week it's best to do one heavy training day (lower reps) during your first weekly workout and a lighter training day (higher reps) during second weekly workout. Itís also best to use different exercises on light days but not mandatory. Only when using the Slingshot Super Blast is being utilized should you stick with the same exercises for both heavy and light days (the way they trained in the Arnold era)! When you find you need time off from heavy training and all anabolic supplements you can do a 1-2 week prime (active or non-active lay-off). An active prime is a high rep/low volume/low intensity training phase or total lay-off from training that allows the joints/tendons/nervous system to recover so you can enter back into a blast with full-power. If you go on vacation, etc it would also be considered a prime. Its all depends on the individual how often a prime is needed. I like to do a 1 week prime about every 6 months or after a show.

Plateauing : A plateau effect will occur within 8 weeks with most steroids/anabolic supplement cycles. This is the perfect time to deload and decrease anabolics. Strength gains occur during a deload due to a rebound effect of stopping anabolics and by putting less demand on the nervous system/joints/tendons by training with only half the volume. The deload primes the body for future gains and allows you to get stronger/bigger during the next reload/anabolic cycle. Cycling in this manner increasing the effectiveness of every 8 week anabolic steroid or pro-hormone cycle. There's no value in going past 8 weeks of using anabolics unless you are cutting and getting ready for a show. Once an 8 week cycle is completed you would have to escelate anabolic dosages much higher to get additional results-hence more side effects would occur and over-training would manifest itself.

Work Sets:There's never a need in exceeding more than a total of 12 intense work sets for any body part each week. After around 12 intense work sets are completed the muscles stop firing. Doing upwards of 20 intense sets will result in injury and total burnout! All to often I see people thinking they need to do 20-25 work sets per muscle group. Now I want to drive this point home-"If you cannot break down your muscles to the max with 6-12 intense work sets total for the week (warm up sets not included) whether you train them once a week or twice a week you have a serious training problem"!

Slingshot Diet:

RELOAD DIET: During a reload you will need to increase protein! Do not exceed around 2 grams of protein per pound of body weight during a reload!

DELOAD DIET: During a deload less protein is needed. Protein intake will need to be reduced by 1 gram per pound of body weight. During a deload you will need to keep calories the same (maintenance level) so growth can occur or be maintained. Use mostly healthy dietary fats like olive oil and ***** 3's from various nuts and smart balance peanut butter to replace the protein calories that have been removed. However, carbs can remain the same in order to spare the lesser amounts of protein being taken in but if you need to get leaner before the next reload reduce the carbs. Reaching a sticking point after an 8 week reload is normal. The best way to overcome sticking points is by changing your routine with a deload. The reduced protein intake during a deload will improve insulin sensitivity because less protein will be converetd over to glucose and non-stop anabolic usage has been suggested to cause insulin resistance. When more protein/carbs are added during the next reload more amino acids will have the opportunity to be accepted by muscle cells when they are being broken down the most!

Carbs vs fats: In regards to the best diet plan for your body type you must figure out whether you do better on higher carbs or higher fats then go from there. Protein always remains high! If you do better on carbs then keep the fats lower. On the other hand, if you do better on less carbs and more fats keep the carbs lower. Some of you with a very fast metabolism may do better utilizing both a high carb and high fat diet. In that case it's good practiced to alternate protein/carb meals with mostly protein/fat meals to increase your ability to digest larger amounts of food.

PRIME: If you are over-trained you should begin each training cycle by using strategic de-conditioning (priming phase) over a 1-2 week time span. Total work sets and weight loads are reduced during the prime to make the muscle more responsive to the stimulus of weight training. Not training at all will do the same thing! This will help set up an environment for muscle growth to occur during the following blast!

Slingshot your way to the top!

The Slingshot Training System By Ronnie Rowland.Ē

WARNING: READ FIRST

No liability is assumed by the author for information contained within. Anabolic steroids are illegal in many countries and are not condoned by the author. All readers, are advises that any form of supplements or drugs described may be illegal, prohibited, or used only with a doctors prescription. The author does not participate, advocate, or encourage in any illegal activities. Readers must consult with appropriate legal and medical authorities if not certain about what has been stated in this article. COPYRIGHTED BY Ronnie Rowland....

Introduction:

When many weight lifters hit a plateau, what do they do? They begin to push even harder by adding more intensity to their routine. This kind of thinking is wrong because a muscle has to be exposed to something it is not used to doing without over-training the nervous system and joints. Adding intensity, by way of beyond failure training techniques, is widely known for producing frustrated bodybuilders! It's no secret that progressively adding more weight to every lift is a sure-fire way to increase total lean body mass, given the diet, training volume, and exercise selection is spot on. Almost everyone starts out using low volume. They grow at a phenomenal rate until the body adapts and quits responding. Because some feel the gains were so great using the lower volume approach, they begin to try and lift heavier weights while using the same program for extended periods of time. They put continued pressure on themselves to try to beat personal records each training session in hopes it will somehow further their muscle mass. Unfortunately, they end up with nothing more than chronic injuries and stagnation as a result.

The intelligent trainer's switch-over to using more volume, while the less fortunate keep thinking less is always more! The next mistake comes into play by the trainees who have switched over to using the higher volume approach. Many become so overwhelmed with their newly found muscle mass after having increased the volume that they begin to reason with themselves thinking more must always be done from that point on. They quickly hit a point of diminishing returns and eventually develop over-use injuries and an over-trained nervous system, instead of reverting back to using a lower amount of volume that worked so well at the beginning.

Sometimes their training will take the form of more sets-reps, exercises, intensity, training sessions, etc. Some are in constant search for the latest routines that will shock their muscles even further. However, all this does is hold them back even more because no one can overcome diminishing returns or keep using the same routine for extended periods of time and expect to make good gains. Slingshot Training helps you overcome both of these dilemmas by employing both low volume and high volume during the appropriate time frames!

** As someone who lifts weights, you will be going up against giants. In biblical times David used a "slingshot" to destroy his largest opponent of all, Goliath. Slingshot Training will dramatically change your physique in a short amount of time, trust me on this one.* *

Every time I browse the internet itís the same old question being asked over and over again; ďWhatís the best training routine to gain lean muscle mass and strength?Ē Many of you are jumping from program to program and itís not really making any noticeable differences in your strength or appearance. Some of you were making gains but have now reached a plateau. Others believe that a properly structured routine wonít really make much difference in comparison to other training programs and you tend to be either an obsessive-compulsive high volume trainees (always going for a pump) or an obsessive-compulsive low volume trainees (always trying to gain more strength). If you fall into any of these categories, I want to share with you what I have found optimal for making forward progress as a weight lifter.

First, not everything that works is good. You can be sincere in what you believe and still be wrong. So far, so good, doesnít mean youíre not going to have some serious issues with joint and tendon pain later on down the road. All too often a hero on this months muscle magazine turns into a zero a few months down the road because they become injured and can no longer train. Listen carefully, opinions and trends come and go. I get a head ache just thinking about all the high-intensity training techniques such as pre-exhaustion, forced reps, heavy negatives, down the rack, rest-pause, super sets, drop sets, and the list goes on, and on!

Let me be clear, various training techniques have nothing to do with genetic capabilities. There is not one single variable that is the total downfall of not being able to gain more muscle size. Forced reps, rest pause, drop sets; etc will all depict some form of muscular hypertrophy. However, a major problem (other than these techniques being less effective at stimulating muscular size-strength and putting more strain on the joints, tendons, and CNS) is that they take in a much selected group of principles and apply them. The theory of combining all different training techniques to increase muscle hypertrophy is short-sighting the way the human body responds. If genetics dictated the needs for a different training style, then some could use rest-pause or drop-sets and get bigger/stronger than what they could obtain with straight sets, and we know this is not the case! Time has proven that the genetically superior will respond better to all forms of training methods when compared to the genetically inferior. Simply changing the way you create damage by employing various beyond failure training methods does not alter the fact that overtraining of the CNS and joints/tendons will out pace muscular damage. So, it all boils down to finding that one training method thatís not only the most effective for all genetic types, but the safest. It just so happens that straight sets is that one training method. In final, straight sets is the superior training style that out does all the rest when periodized properly!

* * Just because something has been shown to work doesn't mean itís the best way**

A lot of talented people fail because they don't have a strong work ethic or they get poor information and stick too it. It's very important to get the right information. Do some investigating. Our projection of things is how all of us make our decisions. And all too often, people tend to believe something just because they have heard others say it over and over again. You must resist letting others condition or brainwash you into believing something that is not altogether true. Be skeptical when someone is trying to sell you something. It pays to be defensive because there is always something being promoted as "new and amazing" that turns out to be pure garbage. I'm not telling you that Slingshot Training is the only one way to success, or that all other training systems are wrong. I'm all about teaching others what I have found to be optimal. I get tired of all the silly debates on the internet that means absolutely nothing. For every article debunking a certain method, 25 can be found supporting it. Studies are fine, and theories are great, but reality hits hard and the paper studies that are put out become worthless when the truth is finally revealed. When someone gives the default answer "Well there's not an effective off-season program that will work for everyone in terms of maxing out their genetics potential," I realize they are basically admitting they do not understand how the human body responds to outside stimuli. The big picture is learning what it takes to create an effective progressive over-load (lift more weight) without getting injured and then taking those strength gains and proceeding forward to create a true progressive over-load (performing more sets with heavier weight loads) without developing over-use injuries and over-training. Add the proper nutrition into the mix and thatís how you get results. I refer to this as using a slingshot approach (hurling intensity to the muscles). Link showing pro and cons of low volume and high volume training- Bring Back Hard Work and Volume Training

## Taking it to the edge is what it's all about##

If you gain strength but fail to gain some muscle size over time, itís because you are not eating enough calories. If you gain strength by way of decreasing training volume (deload) but neglect to increase training volume (reload) during a period of using more calories to put on weight, you will gain more body fat and less muscle size. Combining more volume with extra calories and increased strength gains is what causes maximum growth Then you must periodize these 3 factors so progress and recuperation can be made year round. Training has to do with adaptation. Volumes, Intensity, Frequency and Strength have their limitations. None of them are infinite. For e.g.; If you perform 1 intense set of heavy barbell curls twice a week, the neural pathways will eventually adjust themselves by getting stronger so they can handle an even heavier weight load next time you train. Yes, the biceps will get stronger, but not a lot bigger. Stay with me here! When you take advantage of the added strength gains made by using less volume (deload) and then co-mingle those added strength gains with additional training volume (reload) while not over-training, you can be assured you will grow bigger muscles. That is how you create a true progressive overload! You can use all the fancy beyond failure training methods such as drop sets and rest-pause for hours on end and never create a true progressive overload because limitless adaptation equals a heavier workload in conjunction with additional volume to breakdown down more muscle tissue, while never going past the point of diminishing returns.

A progressive over-load and a true progressive over-load are not one in the same. Creating a progressive over-load is brought forth by being able to lift more weight using the same form, amount of work sets, and rest periods between sets. A true progressive over-load (a phrase I coined) is also brought forth when you can lift more weight using the same form, and rest periods between sets, but the amount of work sets performed must be greater than whatís required to produce a progressive over-load! After each subsequent set that follows the first work set, the type-1 fibers tire out earlier in the set and the type 2 fibers that are most responsible for giving you muscle size-strength take over the load for longer periods of time. By the time you have done only 2-3 intense sets, the endurance fibers are shutting down much earlier in the set and it's mostly the type-2 fibers lifting the weight. This is why volume training works well for pro-bodybuilders. The type-2 fibers must be made to adapt to lift more weight for longer periods of time in order to grow larger. In order to accomplish this feat, you must handle heavier weights over time. By training each bodypart only once a week as a "baseline," you will produce the most size gains with the least amount of effort, all while sparing the joints and central nervous system. Once the body adapts to once a week bodypart training you'll want to periodically hit each muscle group twice a week in order to keep progressing forward at the fastest rate humanly possible! Always training each muscle group once a week or always training a muscle group twice a week stops being the most productive way to train for the more advanced bodybuilder. Once the muscles have fully adapted to the training frequency it should be changed if you are to continue to force the body to adapt. When done correctly this leads to further growth and strength gains! It takes 6-8 weeks for full-adaptation to occur when using anabolics. Full-adaptation is what you want so go with 8 weeks! A longer reload gives the body more time to adjust and you will hold onto the muscle better! LET'S RECAP-THERE IS NO SET LIMIT ON HOW LONG YOU CAN BLAST. THE KEY IS TO DELOAD AND RELOAD THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE BLAST AND THEN DO A 1-2 WEEK PRIME WHEN TOTAL BURN OUT OR A NAGGING INJURY OCCURS.

This really is a fantastic routine. I keep forgetting about it as I keep trying other routines. The couple times I've run this I built some good strength. Hey carp are you going to post up all the routine set ups?

First routine I ever tried, By far the most gains, still refer back to it every couple months of training. Reviewed and tweaked it a little for more compound lifts and made it a little more "natty friendly" but its a great routine and program.

Powerlifterís and those who compete in the strongest man/woman competitions have learned the value of preventing injuries and nervous system destruction by not training beyond momentary muscular failure. Taking less away from the body allows it to recuperate faster, meaning the overcompensation process (where strength and growth occurs) can conclude sooner and with consistency. Using excessive body english to reach absolute muscular failure or beyond (the point you can no longer budge a weight), especially with heavy work loads, creates great demand on the tendons, joints, and nervous system.

Your goal as a weight lifter should be to increase the weight on the bar through a Progressive Overload and train with great intensity, not training to the point where someone has to pull the barbell off your chest on the last rep or assist you in pumping out a few extra repetions at the end of an intense work set by pushing past failure. Do not want to avoid training to failure if you are a bodybuilder; itís the wrong kind of failure training you should avoid, especially when training a large muscle group like the legs. The ideal situation as a bodybuilder is to reach as close to muscular failure as possible on each work set, but in a way that will induce maximum stimulus to the muscle fibers without causing injury or impairing the Central Nervous System. I call this good failure because it is the absolute best way to train for maximum size. As a strength trainer/power-lifter you will want to train in the 1-5 rep range and try to leave one in the hole (stop one rep shy of good failure) on power-lifting movements to prevent injuries and Central Nervous System burn out.

## Bodybuilding and Powerlifting are not one in the same and you would do well to remember this if you want to be good at either.##

Some people have equated overloading the muscle with decreasing the amount of rest taken between sets. This means using a lot less weight on subsequent sets. Their purpose of moving quicker between sets is to burn the muscle beyond a point that canít be achieved with straight sets. I think some tend to forget that burning a muscle with higher reps or taking less rest between sets is not equivalent to burning the muscles by performing additional work sets. Increasing training volume up to no more than 12 sets per major body part each training session, along with the a properly utilized deload, will allow you to train with a heavier workload on a progressive basis. You'll need to wait long enough between sets to allow ATP restoration. On the other hand, when you move rapidly between sets, ATP cannot regenerate itself fast enough to support a true progressive over-load.

Itís important that you understand a burn obtained from using more straight sets equals over-load, but a burn obtained from applying beyond failure techniques like triple drops sets, super sets, rest-pause and or moving rapidly between sets does not promote the same degree of over-load. Also, itís been proven beyond a reasonable doubt that a certain amount of volume is needed when utilizing any rep-range with straight sets. Over-load and intensity should come through weight selection and the amount of sets performed, not to burn the muscle beyond fatigue. I think this is where some tend to get confused. Keep in mind that getting a nice pump is not the same as burning the muscles. Your primary focus should be overloading the muscles while obtaining a nice pump.

# # Obtaining a good pump by moving rapidly between sets should be avoided like the plague if your goal is to add size-strength. # #

I want you to understand that I have watched people waste a lot of precious time and energy using beyond failure techniques and many have the injuries to prove it! Nothing good can come from building the foundation of your workouts around training techniques whose primary focus is on nervous system/joint over load as opposed to progressive muscle over load. Beyond failure methods cause a severe burn in the muscle and this burn always carries over to the joints/tendons! This can produce tendonitis in short order. Iím here to tell you that using these extreme training methods with any consistency can hold you back by causing injury and nervous system fatigue!

Beware of Deception: Some of these training methods being exploited are more of a badge than a great training program. In fact, some of these programs are totally destructive to your body. Some of the followers can name the exercise selection for the most part, but that's about it. Ironically enough, they sure know how to preach it. Iíve witnessed more injuries from rest-pause, bouncy reps and forced reps, than any other forms of training. Don't allow yourself to become a victim. You'd think anybody in their right mind would know better, but it can be easy to get brainwashed through someone elses exxagerations about how much size they gained following a particular style of training. See to it that no one mis-leads you with pschological conditioning! Being able to discern between truth and error is very important. I respect the opinions of others but there has to be an authority in the weight lifting community. Cling to the things that are safe and timed-test in the gym. When a person departs from the basic foundations of weight training, they are going to end up disillusioned. Don't let some muscle magazines and some so-called training gurus lead you astray! We as bodybuilder's need to make sure as individuals that we take responsibility for what we accept to believe and teach others. I am not pointing the finger at anyone in particular. I am only pointing out the fact that our generation of weight lifters have an oppotunity to fix some things that are broken and say never again will we be led astray by deceptive marketing strategies that lead only to fantasy land.

The human body wasnít designed to go beyond failure. If you cannot lift a weight on your own within a given set, the weight load is too heavy! Extreme training methods have tore many a tendon clean off the bone and everyone who uses these techniques for long periods of time almost always develop a severe injury. Furthermore, techniques like rest-pause can weaken the muscle so severely it will rip a tendon clean off the bone before muscle failure occurs in the rest-paused reps within the set. It makes no difference whether or not the rest-paused reps are performed in the high or low rep range because extreme fatigue is still present and this stress carries over to the vulnerable tendons and joints.

Some training methods get their fame increased through articles in mainstream magazines. I have my concerns about some of these programs being exploited. Sometimes dogma and or marketing are a tough wall to crumble! Listen, Iíve spoken with literally thousands of trainers over the years who can vividly recall their last and final beyond failure training session. They grew to hate training and the gym with all their heart, mind, and soul! I think this speaks volumes about its validity in training to get giant muscles. I have been around bodybuilding for a long time now and I know many have the dedication to apply themselves. I donít want you to make the mistake of pumping up your muscles with massive amounts of blood or pushing the muscles beyond belief with low reps. No ones body and mind can take that kind of abuse for long.

Every training method has some validity when applied with some sanity but, most tend to get carried away and make up the meat of their workout with these more dangerous yet less effective training techniques. Due to safety reasons and the lack of gains made using extreme forms of training, I have quit recommending any form of training other than time proven straight-sets.

Let's pretend you are doing a set of incline bench presses. You lay back on the incline press and crank out one, two, three, four, and five reps. You get to rep number 6 and your face begins to show some pain. Those standing around you think you're finished but you get rep number 7. Surely you are finished they are thinking, but you use sheer will-power to lift the weight to complete number 8 while still avoiding momentary failure. You try for rep number 9 and have to bounce the weight hard off your chest in order to get the barbell up on your own and you just barely make it at that. The set should have been terminated after the completion of rep number 8! Repetition number 8 is what I consider good failure and repetition number 9 is what I call bad failure! Simply said, you continue lifting until you know that if you attempted the get the last rep you couldn't without severely draining the nervous system and using bad form!

Your goal as a bodybuilder is not to avoid training to failure; it's to avoid training to the wrong kind of failure. The ideal situation is to reach as close to muscular failure as possible, but in a way that will induce maximum stimulus to the muscle fibers without causing injury or impairing the Central Nervous System. I call this good failure because it is the absolute best way to train for maximum size.

* * Iíve experimented with training past failure and was very un-satisfied with the results. After making the switch to stopping at good failure, everyoneís results, including my own, have been nothing short of miraculous in comparison.* *

Contracting the muscles using good failure fatigues the muscle fully and builds muscle at a faster rate. As you become stronger, it becomes even more important to use impeccable form, choose the proper exercises that agree with your biomechanics and avoiding beyond failure training techniques so you can stay injury free. Nothing will set you back more than having to take time away from the gym due to an injury. I am all about longevity and have seen multitudes of serious injuries in the gym that could have been avoided in the first place! Knee wraps can be great for squats and other leg work. Weight lifting belts, manta rays and wrist straps work well for some during exercises such as dead-lifts and squats. Some elbow wraps can work great during triceps work and wrist braces like the tiger paw can provide relief for the wrist when doing heavy chest presses. Braces canl help you work around minor strains and tendonitis. Chiropractic care is another tool for bodybuilders experiencing pain in the spine! Glucosamine and Chondroitin can preserve cartilage in the joints and increase joint mobility. Active Release practitioners can reduce your symptoms of tendonitis. Use common sense and work around an injury when possible.

* * Muscle/tendon tears can be avoided by keeping the movement strict and never training past the point of not being able to get another good rep. For every rep of every set, power should be applied gradually. You must maintain tightness and never jerk, bounce, or toss the weight. **

It's important to work in the fullest range of motion possible without causing injury. You must be careful to avoid over-stretching the shoulders during exercises like flyes or you will damage the shoulders. The same thing applies to squats, leg presses, over-head presses, chest presses, dead-lifts, etc. Work in the fullest range of motion that's comfortable for your body not someone else's!

There are lots of kinds of exercises and lots of variations in the performance of them. Exercises done for higher reps would be more of a conditioning exercise. Exercises done with heavy loads and low reps will build strength. Exercises done with the heaviest load possible for moderate reps (6-12) will build muscle mass. Exercises done explosively will build power. The training effect would also depend on the training age of the individual. Most exercises are not inherently "bad for the joints." Exercises performed poorly can be stressful on the joints. Exercises performed with too great a volume or intensity for the conditioning level of the exerciser might become stressful on the joints. Certain exercises performed by someone with existing joint problems have the potential to create additional pain and should be performed with caution and care or avoided altogether.
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You get the most returns for your efforts with the first 3 sets for any given body part. Regardless of how many different exercises you perform for a given bodypart the ability to generate intensity is reduced considerably by the time you finish set # 5. Considerably less and less muscle tissue will be broken down with each consecutive set there after. After that point, the curve starts to taper off but 6 sets still provides gains. After 6 sets the curve continues to slope down and you will obtain even less results for your efforts! This must be taken into consideration when trying to gain strength.

There's a strong correlation between getting the most returns for your efforts during the first 5-6 sets of an exercise and increasing your odds of developing an over-use injury when exceeding 6 sets. Your ability to generate intensity using only 1 exercise for a particular body part will be greatly diminished by the time you've finished 5-6 sets. By switching over to a second exercise after doing 5-6 sets of the first exercise, you will increase the returns you get for your efforts during the second exercise because you'll be working from a different angle. The second exercise will fully breakdown down the remaining muscle fibers that are present within the muscle group. This means trying to go past that point by inserting a 3rd exercise would be a complete waste of time because the entire muscle has already been broken down. By doing 5-6 sets a piece with your two main exercises you will break down more muscle tissue and gain more strength than if you were to perform 20 sets with 5 different exercises. Performing upwards of 16-20 sets for a body part in one session will cause you to waste a lot of time because a muscle no longer fires with optimal force once you go past doing 12 sets. Regardless of how many different exercises you use for a particular body part, the ability to generate intensity is over with after 12 work sets. This must be taken into consideration when trying to gain size.

Performing more than 12 sets for any body part will make you refrain from using great intensity on every work set. For instance, if you were on your 5th set for quads, and you knew you had 15 sets left using 3 different exercises, you wouldn't push yourself nearly as hard as if you were on your 5th set for quads, and you knew you only had 5 sets left with only 1 other exercise. After completing 12 sets for any given body part, it's virtually impossible to generate enough intensity to further break down any substantial amount of muscle tissue. By trying to do so, it creates a scenario where the Central Nervous System and joints have to work harder to keep moving the weights while the muscles are working less. You can only stimulate the muscles so much in any given training session. After reaching the point of diminishing returns, very high volume trainers who train each body part using 20 sets in one training session have to over-strain to try and make up for the muscles inability to put forth effort. This creates tons of stress and possible injuries to the muscles, tendons, and joints. When fatigue is so great that stabilizers and synergists (which generally give out faster than the prime movers) become too tired to allow maintenance of proper form, you're asking for an injury. Train till the muscles gives out; not the joints!

FACT: Adding in a few extra sets after the completion of 12 intense work sets is not going to do anything but lengthen your workout and hamper the recovery process. The muscle is sufficiently stressed and fatigued already. Lastly, the extra sets would expose you to injury through over-use!
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BLAST: You'll want you to put all your focus on one long training phase called a "blast". During this blasting cycle you will perform 2 mini-cycles. I refer to them as a reload and a deload. A reload is high volume training cycle and a deload is low volume training cycle. A good plan is to reload for 2 weeks then follow up with a 1 week deload. For example you can do 12 sets once a week for your chest for 2 weeks. Next, after doing high volume (12 sets) for 2 weeks, you will deload for 1 week. A deload consist of performing about half as many sets while using the same intensity, weight loads and rep-ranges. During this 1 week deload you would do only 6 sets once per week.

The entire blast will consist of training each body part once a week for 3 months straight! After 3 months you have the option of changing over to training your chest twice a week for a period of time in order to break a training plateau and deter staleness/mental boredom. The period of time you chose to train your body parts twice a week should be 8-12 weeks in order to allow full-adaptation to occur. After you finish this blast by training each muscle twice a week, you revert back to what you were doing in the beginning (train each muscle group only once a week for 3 months straight). THE CYCLE CONTINUES ON AND ON!

Note: Some people prefer twice a week muscle training over once a week muscle training. If you fall into this category then you'll need to train each muscle twice a week for 3 months straight and then after the blast is completed, start a new blasting phase where each muscle is trained only once a week for 8-12 weeks.

PRIME: Eventually you will get burned out from all the blasting and need a break from all the heavy lifting. When this occurs it will be time to do a prime. A prime is simply an active-lay off. During this 1-2 week cycle you train with low intensity, low volume training and high reps. Its all depends on the individual how oftern a prime is needed. I like to do a 2 week prime about every 6 months or so.

Slingshot Diet:

RELOAD: During a reload you will need to increase carbs and protein while reducing fats. Carbs spare protein sources better than fats during a high volume trainin phase. Also, more protein is needed dueing a relaod (high volume training phase). Do not exceed 1-5 to 2 grams per pound of body weight!

DELOAD: During a deload less carbs are needed because your intense work sets will decrease. Protein intake will need to be reduced by .5 to 1 grams per pound of body weight. I generally take in 1.5 to 2 grams per lb of body weight during a reload and only 1-1.5 grams during a deload. Cycling your protein intake will make your body more anabolic! During a deload you will need to keep calories the same. Use mostly healthy dietary fats like olive oil and ***** 3's from various nuts and smart balance peanut butter to replace the protein and carb calories that have been removed.

PRIME: If you are over-trained you should begin each training cycle by using strategic de-conditioning (priming phase) over a 1-2 week time span in order to down-regulate anabolic hormones and receptor sites for androgens if needed. Total work sets and weight loads are reduced during the prime to make the muscle more responsive to the stimulus of weight training. You drop protein intake in half, replace those calories with carbohydrates, and decrease calories and/or increase aerobic training to lose body fat if needed to increase insulin sensitivity. This will put your body in a controlled catabolic state which sets up an environment for muscle growth during the following blast!

Important Note: The prime can be skipped altogether when trying to gain mass if you are fully recoverying and/or are utilizing an extended anabolic cycle!

BLAST:[/B] Protein consumption increases to normal (high protein), carbohydrate calories are decreased somewhat, overall calories can be increased, and mini cycles called reloading and deloading are utilized. Reloading involves using twice as many work sets for a 1 to 4 week (depending on how you respond) to fully stimulate type-2 fibers-hence increase muscle mass. For instance, if you performed 6 intense work sets for chest during the deload you will need to use around 12 sets during the reload. Deloading involves decreasing total work sets as needed to allow for catch up growth that was stimulated during the reload, making continued strength improvements, and to prevent over-use/over-training. A deload should not exceed 1-2 weeks in duration and must be utlized after reloading for 1 to 4 weeks. During the deload you reduce the amount of work sets by about half. For instance, if you have been doing 12 sets for chest during a reload you will need to perform only 6 sets during the deload. Then you repeat this protocol over and over until the blast is complete. The deload has nothing to do with the amount of weight used, just with the number of sets. Which means that you can bump up the weight if capable of doing so as long as the number of work sets are reduced! After completition of the blast it's time to revert back to 2 weeks of priming before entering another blasting phase.

Exercise selection: Do no exceed 12 intense work sets for each major body part or 4 exercises per body part. Concentrate on performing 6-12 reps per set. I you take multiple exercises to their utmost strength plateau with volume training (reload). When you plateau within this 1 to 4 week trainin phase, you switch over to lower volume training (deload) to gain even more strength/size. If have not plateaued in strength by the 4th week of reloading you will still need to deload for a week to prevent over-training and allow for catch up growth that was stimulated during the reload. When you gain some additional strength and/or decide your battery has been fully recharged during a 1-2 week deload, you revert back to reloading to enhance muscle size. You can stay with the same exercises until you experience over use or plateau on them. A 1-4 week reload is a brief higher volume training cycle. A 1-2 week deload is a a brief lower volume training cycle.

During a blast, you gain maximal strength during a deload, then take these strength gains and break down more muscle tissue during a reload by performing more work sets. This type of repetitive progress is the secret so many are in search of yet few have found! Pro-bodybuilderís would not be the size they are today if they lifted the same weights they started out with or used the same low volume programs they used as a beginner to get stronger! I am often asked, "is it really neccesarily to do both a deload and a reload during a blast"? My answer is this- There are a lot of people who think they are making progressive strength gains but in reality they are stuck in a training rut using the same weight loads over and over again. They will keep returning to train hard but continue using the same weights they used last month when their genetic potential in strength is far from being reached. They get a massive pump but they do not get any stronger! On the other hand, there are people who think they are making progressive gains in muscle size because they are getting stronger but in reality their ability to max out muscle size for their genetic potential is not being reached because they are always performing low volume. They use the same low volume approach over and over again while neglecting to go for a serious pump. They will keep returning to the gym pushing heavy weight loads for only a set or two while making minimal gains in muscle size. In final, it takes both high volume and low volume to max out your genetic potential!!! [/color]
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